


On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur

by Maki_Ayase



Series: Loona reverse!family sub-units [3]
Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: 2jin focus uwu, F/F, I LOVE 2JIN UGH, Sad with a Happy Ending, Some angst, also tw for transphobia, and itzy, and some slurs are used, but it's not super bad, look i don't hate bts i just need bad guys okay, loona reverse! family sub-units, maknae line focus, mostly soft tho, some izone everglow dreamcatcher cameos, there is one scene where shit goes down, tw for homophobia too, twice red velvet blackpink are wack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 07:18:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21316318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maki_Ayase/pseuds/Maki_Ayase
Summary: Heejin and Hyunjin are made for each other, and that's a fact. As much as their past was harsh, they are set to go forward and to never let go of each other.And to annoy Yeojin.
Relationships: Jeon Heejin/Kim Hyunjin
Series: Loona reverse!family sub-units [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1455025
Comments: 12
Kudos: 64





	On ne voit bien qu'avec le coeur

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the third part, finally! I'm sorry it took so much time, i looove school :)
> 
> This is the last part of my loona reverse! family sub-units! As said before, there are some references to my previous works, so i would suggest you read them first, but the story is okay on its own.
> 
> I try to make the stories as realistic as possible, and that means including south Korean laws regarding the LGBT community, so :(
> 
> some scenes are upsetting, but it gets better i promise!

‘’Heejin, we have to talk.’’

The young woman looked over to her boyfriend, smiling. Hyunwoo wasn’t the type to talk a lot, so she enjoyed we he spoke his mind. This time, however, he was playing with his hands, his gaze stuck to his feet. His jaw muscles were tensed. Heejin frowned, fearing something worse than she expected. She put her book aside and sat up straight on their couch. The two shared an apartment for uni.

‘’Of course. What’s on your mind, love?’’

He kept looking down and ran a hand through his long black hair. He had started growing them for two years now, and Heejin couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked.

‘’What I have to say might destroy what we have,’’ he warned, finally looking up.

His eyes were full of tears. Heejin immediately jumped to his side of the couch and hugged him, rubbing his back.

‘’Hey, what are you saying? What’s wrong?’’

‘’Heejin, I love you so much, but I can’t hide it anymore,’’ he sobbed, gripping the back of her shirt.

‘’You don’t have to hide anything, Hyun. I promise I won’t freak out, okay? Do you believe me?’’

He sniffed a bit but nodded slowly. Heejin broke the hug and took his hands in hers, smiling reassuringly. He took a shaky breath and shut his eyes in a comical grimace.

‘’I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, but I’m pretty sure I’m… oh God, this is harder than I thought it would be… I’m… okay wait a sec,’’ he said, running his hand through his hair  again.

He took another big breath, and as Heejin was about to reassure him again, he slapped his thigh loudly.

‘’I’M A GIRL!’’ He belted.

He immediately grunted and flopped back on the armrest, shielding his face with his hands. He waited a few seconds to let the announcement soak in, then glanced at Heejin through an opening of his fingers. Of course, the girl looked surprised, but she didn’t seem mad or confused. Instead, she looked a bit sad. Even disappointed.

‘’I’m sorry, everything is just so confusing… What I’m trying to say-‘’

‘’Why didn’t you tell me sooner?’’ She exclaimed, slapping a hand on her forehead. “I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable!”

‘’You’re… not mad?’’

‘’I would never be mad at you! I’m just a bit confused, Hyun- wait… um… do you have a name you prefer being called?’’ Heejin asked, smiling shyly.

He couldn’t believe it. Heejin, the love of his life, still loved him. He smiled at his turn, scratching his head.

‘’I was thinking of Hyunjin.’’

‘’Isn’t that mostly used by guys though?’’ Heejin asked, worried.

‘’Not necessarily. Kang Hyunjin and Seo Hyunjin are girls at our school. Plus, I’ll make it easier to remember since the first part is the same. For the last part, I took Jin because you also have it,’’ he confided, blushing.

‘’Alright then,  _ Hyunjin _ .’’

Heejin smiled, but he had one last concern.

‘’You’re not gonna dump me? Even if the world will never accept me?’’

‘’Don’t say that! The world changes constantly and always for the better. Plus, I’m sure Yeojin will still be happy to tease you. Besides, I’m bisexual, silly. You knew that, no?’’

‘’Yeah, I’m just… stoked.’’

He laughed a bit. No,  _ she  _ laughed a bit.

‘’I will always love you, Hyunjin. No matter what people say about you, about me, if you’re happy, I’m happy. But you have to explain it a bit to me because I don’t want to hurt you in any way.’’

They kissed and hugged again, and Hyunjin let an exhale of relief. She could finally be herself.

Hyunjin was so stressed out that Heejin had to drive her car. The road was finally free of the constant traffic in Jeonju, and they could power their way to the exterior of the city.

“Hey, it’s going to be fine, alright?”

“Is it?”

“They don’t know, so we should be fine.”

Heejin put a hand on her knee and squeezed it, still looking at the road. Hyunjin exhaled loudly and stared out the window.

Hyunjin knew that she couldn’t tell her parents and continue to see them. After figuring things out with Heejin, they had both agreed to go take her stuff from her house and store it somewhere until they would get a decent home for the two of them.

It was nerve-racking to come up with an excuse without telling them why she was doing this. They would never support her if she told them. A secret mission was the only way.

“Are you sure they’re out?”

“It’s their weekly grocery shopping time. It’s gonna be fine, Hyunjin.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Heejin smiled, and Hyunjin smiled back. They arrived 15 minutes later, and sure enough, they were no cars in the driveway. While Heejin opened the trunk, Hyunjin bolted to the front door and unlocked it. She ran to her room and started putting her belongings in piles. Heejin came with boxes and helped her put clothes, accessories, little toys and other small stuff in them. The car was packed after an hour of labour, so they sat on her old bed to drink some juice after calling a break.

“It didn’t take as long as I thought,” Hyunjin said.

“You don’t own many things.”

“And I wonder why…”

She looked over to the boxes, all filled with objects of her past.

The sound of a car door slamming made the both of them jump and Heejin dragged her up. Hyunjin started to breathe heavily as they walked to the living room. Heejin looked panicked, but she smiled at her and hugged her tight.

“They don’t know, Hyunjin. No one could have told them. We’ll say that… that you needed some stuff from home. They won’t notice until we’ll be gone.”

Hyunjin nodded, and the front door was slammed open. Hyunjin’s father was standing on the porch. He was frowning and whispering curse words, and when he walked in and saw them, he stopped and glared at them.

“You think you're sneaky, don’t you? You thought you could get away with this?”

To her left, Heejin tensed up.

“How-,” she began, but Hyunjin’s father stomped in their direction, and Hyunjin pushed her away.

Everything went too fast. The man grabbed Hyunjin’s neck and pushed her against a wall, hitting her head. A bit further away, her mother was standing there, crying silently.

“Are you mentally ill? You want to be a girl now?”

“I do,” she choked, trying to kick him away.

He slammed her again against the wall, and Hyunjin groaned in pain.

“Are you fucking stupid, Hyunwoo? Are you a faggot? You want to please men, is that it?”

“Get off me!”

“Your mother is the one that got the email from your school! Look at her! Look at her broken heart! That’s all your fault!”

Hyunjin glanced at her mom. She looked devastated but mostly angry as if she wanted to beat her up herself. She shuddered and looked away.

“Mr Kim, I beg you,” Heejin said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“And you! You approve of this?” He screamed.

“I love her for who she is! Hurting her won’t make things change!”

“Her? Are you some kind of lesbian?”

He let go of Hyunjin, who fell to the floor, and grabbed Heejin by the arm. She tried to make him let go, but he only held on harder, making her wince. Hyunjin immediately got up and kicked the back of his legs, making him fall down.

“Get the fuck away from her!”

They started rolling on the ground while Heejin verbally fought with her mother. Hyunjin took a few hits before effectively punching him square in the face. He grunted in pain and let go of his grip on her hair. Hyunjin got up and pulled her girlfriend away, slamming the door shut. They ran to the car and drove away as fast as they could, the tires screeching on the asphalt.

It was silent for a few minutes, the time they readjusted to their situation. Both of them were shocked, and kind of out of it, and Heejin finally stopped at a gas station kilometres away. She rubbed her palm on her face and looked at Hyunjin, who was pressing a hand against her cheek.

“You’re bleeding!” Heejin exclaimed.

“It’s nothi-“

Heejin ran inside the 7-eleven and came back in seconds with water, alcohol and tissues. She started cleaning her up, and Hyunjin inhaled sharply when the alcohol went in her small cut on her cheek. She noticed her girlfriend rubbing the spot where her father had injured her and frowned.

“Is your arm alright?”

“It’s a bit red, but it’ll be gone in a day or two.”

“I’m sorry he did that to you. I wasn’t quick enough to help you,” Hyunjin whispered.

She felt the tears come back, but Heejin wiped them away with a small smile.

“I’m glad I stood up to him, and that you’re okay.”

“I don’t think I am, though.”

She buried her head in her palms and sobbed softly, incapable of stopping her emotions from showing. Heejin brought her closer and hugged her firmly, soothing her back gently.

“I’m sorry for all of this, Heekkie. I wish I could be normal,” she hiccuped.

“Hyunjin, you are perfect the way you are, and I’ll protect you from anybody that says otherwise. They don’t deserve you. You’re finally shining, baby, and I will always love you, Hyun, that’s a promise.”

Heejin kissed the top of her head and hugged her even tighter.

She never wanted to let go.

Neither did Hyunjin.

Hyunjin had a business major like everyone else in the office, but for some reason, her coworkers still treated her like a secretary. She knew she passed rather well, always having a delicate face and manners (the Estrogen helped too). Still, none of them acknowledged her and treated her like dirt because of her choice of clothing. They didn’t know her before her transition, but they still made the conscious decision to dead name her after her boss made a mistake when writing something down. The world wasn’t ready for a change. Maybe in the next couple of years, when they’ll hit the 2000s.

‘’Kim, why didn’t you refill the coffee?’’

‘’I don’t know, why didn’t you, Min?’’ She spat back, not even looking away from her computer.

The man scoffed and walked away, whispering insults loud enough for her to hear. Hyunjin clenched her teeth and inhaled loudly. In the cubicle to her right, Ryujin rolled back on her chair, following the guy with her eyes.

‘’What a jerk, seriously. I hate men so much.’’

‘’That’s not really nice,’’ Taehyung replied, also rolling back with his chair. ‘’I’m hurt. Aren’t you, Hyunwoo?’’

‘’Did I ask for your dumb opinion, idiot? And leave Hyunjin alone, or I’ll tie your nuts when you’re sleeping on the job again, moron,’’ Ryujin growled, glaring at him.

The man grimaced and rolled back to his cubicle. Ryujin shook her head and grinned at her, and Hyunjin laughed a bit.

‘’That was epic.’’

‘’Wasn’t it too harsh, though? I think he’ll shit his pants next time he sees me.’’

They laughed even harder, earning funny looks from the rest of their coworkers.

‘’This is mom, and I’m mama,’’ Heejin articulated slowly, pointing at her wife then herself. ‘’Can you say mama, Haseul? Mama!’’

The baby squealed and smiled.

‘’To be fair, it is easier than saying mama,’’ Hyunjin remarked, smiling reassuringly at the other woman.

Heejin rolled her eyes, but she shook her head and tickled her daughter. Haseul giggled and screamed, which made Heejin squeak in response. Hyunjin was holding little Vivi in her arms, showing her the new little sister. They had adopted her from China, and they kept her given name as her second name in case she wanted it. She was just a few months older, but Vivi was already progressing rapidly.

‘’Say hi to Haseul, Vivi!’’ Hyunjin said, leaning over the bassinet to look at her baby. Vivi smiled and made a grabby hand movement, babbling about.

Baby Haseul giggled again, and her sister gasped, putting a little hand over her mouth. The two moms chuckled, and Hyunjin hugged her kid, overwhelmed by her cuteness.

‘’Ah, I love you all so much,’’ she whispered, peppering her daughter with kisses.

‘’Hey, no fair! I want some too!’’ Heejin exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.

Hyunjin kissed the pout off her lips, smiling. She was so proud Heejin for no reason in particular. She just loved her so much.

“Alright, kids! I’ll call your name, and you’ll stand on the white X on the ground, got it?” The teacher asked, glaring at the rowdy row of kids standing in front of her.

Heejin sighed behind her camera. When she had decided to become a photographer and to study for four years in university, she had imagined a bright future where she would take inspiring and never-seen-before shots. Maybe win an award or two.

“Turn your head to the left. The left. No, the other direction. There are two directions, just pick the other!”

She had never imagined ending up taking school pictures for elementary kids. To Heejin's side, her coworker Yiren was becoming annoyed at a little kid that kept confusing his left from his right.

“Your feet- no, why are you crossing them? Why are you crossing them? Just stand still! Put them on the lines of the floor!”

“Hey, do you need some help?” Heejin offered, glancing back at the teacher that was tapping her foot on the ground.

“Just, make him look at the goddamned camera, please.”

Heejin walked over to the kid and showed him the position, correcting the way he looked back with a smile. Having kids had made her more patient, and she actually laughed silently when Yiren took a snap with a loud sigh.

“Thanks, I don’t think I would have been nice any longer.”

“It’s fine. Maybe point the direction next time?”

“Yeah,” the other woman agreed, running a hand through her hair.

Heejin went back to her spot, preparing to take a little girl’s picture when she heard Sihyeon screech.

“No, no no no, no don’t touch that-“

_ CRASH! _

Heejin closed her eyes and winced, imagining the hundreds of dollars just lost. She looked over to her boss Jiwon (they all called her E:U as a codename), who was sitting on a wooden stool with sunglasses on. Heejin saw her sigh and dig up a flask from her purse, which she took a gulp of.

Maybe she wasn’t the only one to hate her job.

“You remember what we talked about?”

Vivi nodded her head, gazing up at her mother. Heejin blinked a few times to get rid of the tears forming in her eyes.

“You can say our names, but when you talk about Hyunjin, you have to say ‘dad’, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Do you remember why?”

“For my safety and mom’s safety.”

“That’s correct. If you slip up, don’t panic. Correct yourself and continue. I believe in you, okay sweetie?”

Vivi nodded and gave her mom one last hug before following the other kids inside the school. Heejin stayed at the gate a few moments, thinking about living her life as a lie. It wasn’t Hyunjin’s fault, it was their country’s. They were the ones forcing her family to hide and to lie.

Heejin walked back to her car and kicked a pebble on the way. In a way, she felt like that pebble on the sidewalk.

“Do you  _ have _ to go? You said we could go to the aquarium together!” Haseul whined, tugging on Hyunjin’s hand.

“I’m very sorry, Haseul, but I have some last-minute work to do. I promise we’ll go next weekend, alright?”

Hyunjin dropped her briefcase to the ground and kneeled, hugging her upset daughter. The 8-year-old buried her face in her neck and sighed, but let go when her mother got up.

“I’ll see you on Monday, alright?”

“I’m gonna miss you…”

“Me too, sweetie.”

She ruffled her hair and closed the front door. Outside, Vivi was lying in the grass while reading, and Heejin was assembling pieces of a new camera she got. Her oldest daughter noticed her and left her book to run at her.

“Can you bring me back a 2NE1 poster, please? Oh, and maybe some new crayons! Haseul lost hers at school last week!” She said, jumping around her in circles.

“Alright, alright,” Hyunjin chuckled.

“Yay! Have fun on your trip, mama!”

“As if,” Heejin replied in her place.

Hyunjin glared at her and hugged Vivi, promising again to bring her a souvenir from Seoul.

“What? We both know you’re not going to be doing anything there,” Heejin continued when Hyunjin walked to her with her hands on her hips.

“Look, I’m trying to be positive. Don’t pop my bubble, Heekie.”

“Fine, whatever. Have fun!”

Hyunjin scrunched her nose and kissed her girlfriend. Heejin put her hand on her neck to make her stay just a bit longer. Hyunjin tried not to chuckle, but slid her hands on the other woman’s hips, pulling her closer.

“Not in front of the kids, Hyun,” Heejin breathed out between a kiss.

“You started it, dummy.”

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” Hyunjin chuckled, kissing the tip of her nose.

They finally parted away, and Hyunjin picked up her briefcase, waving goodbye to her family. She got in her car and drove away, still waving back at Vivi that was running behind farther away.  Once her house was out of sight, Hyunjin exhaled loudly and tightened her grip around her steering wheel.

Apparently, her boss was too sick to go to a board meeting in the capital. The other company representatives were all going, so skipping it was impossible.

Yoongi and Jungkook had obviously nominated her, saying how she was so experienced and that she knew how to handle those kinds of situation. They had made a point to call her Hyunwoo, of course, and the whole team had agreed except for Ryujin. Fucking bigots.

Going there wasn’t paid, so it really was a pain for anyone to go.

“Those assholes are gonna pay, one day!” She screamed in the security of her yellow Hyundai Elantra.

The ride to the metro station wasn’t long, and she parked her car in a parking lot nearby. She was to leave in ten minutes, so she scrolled her facebook feed, liking her friends’ pictures and commenting here and there.

Jeonju wasn’t that far from Seoul, but a 2h30 ride could be really long. Thankfully, she didn’t have to transfer. She boarded after a few minutes and found a seat.

She yawned, trying her best to look good on a Friday at 8:10. She hoped she wouldn’t fall asleep.

She was stirred awake by a shoulder shake from a complete, but kind stranger.

“This is the end of the line.”

“Huh- yeah, uh, thanks.”

She stood up a bit too quickly and staggered until she got a hold of a metal bar. Rubbing her mouth, she walked out of the metro and made her way through the crowd. The capital had more people than in her town, and she was overwhelmed by the amount. Hyunjin lived in Jeonju after all.

She found her hotel after the taxi dropped her in front and headed to the conference centre an hour after.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t her first time going. She had gone two other times, and both were as boring as the other. Now here she was, sitting at an oval table with ten other representatives, who were also bored out of their minds.

“Hey Hyunjin, what’s up!”

Hyunjin looked at the door, where Kim Yoohyeon was standing with one of those horrible coffees from the machine in her hand.

“I’m bored as hell, and you?”

“Why the fuck do you think I’m drinking this shit? Maybe I’ll get food poisoning and leave early.”

Hyunjin shook her head and patted the seat on her left, where the other sat happily.

“Do you think she’ll be there today?”

“It’s literally her company, why wouldn’t she be there?” Hyunjin replied, drumming her fingers on the table.

“Your boss isn’t here, and so is mine.”

“Touché.”

The two had met the first time Hyunjin had come to replace her boss. Yoohyeon was basically the one to make her branch of the company keep up. At this point, she could be considered the boss. Thankfully, she lived in Seoul, which made it less exhausting.

“How are your kids doing?” Yoohyeon asked.

“They’re fine. Haseul is following singing lessons and Vivi art classes. What about Bora?”

The other woman rolled her eyes and scrunched her nose. “Wait until they start fifth grade: that’s when the nightmare starts. A cute shirt I bought the week before is now ‘not stylish’ anymore, she started to put makeup on, and worse, Yoobin can refuse her anything.”

“Jesus, it’s that bad?”

Yoohyeon just looked to the side and shook her head, sipping from her drink. Suddenly, a man slammed the conference room door and started to panic.

“She’s coming, guys! She’s coming!”

“That’s the whole point, idiot,” another one replied. “Sit your ass down.”

Yoohyeon downed her coffee in one go and seconds after, the CEO of the company walked into the room. The sound of her heels shut everybody up, and she set whatever documents she was holding on the oval table. She had dark brown curly hair with a full face of makeup, her dark eyeshadow making her angry glare even scarier. Jeon Somi truly was intimidating.

“I see you fuckers are all there except for Jinyoung. Great. Just perfect.”

She looked down at a note set aside and shook her head.

“Kim Hyunjin and Kim Yoohyeon are replacing Ryu Hwayoung and Lee Seunghyun… Again… I should fire these idiots.”

She stopped talking for a while, and Hyunjin looked to her left just enough to see Yoohyeon struggling to swallow all the coffee in her mouth without gagging. She tried not to laugh because then Yoohyeon would actually spit the coffee and they would both be fired. In front of them, Choi Miyeon was looking at anything but them. Her face was all red like she was going to blow up any second.

“Alright,” Somi continued, “before we begin, I have one question.”

Heechul tensed up next to her. Somi lowered her head and inhaled loudly.

“WHO the FUCK thought that yellow #EEDC82 would make the new logo look GOOD? Even my fucking niece could do better, and she’s 6 years old! I’ll give a grand to whoever tells me who did it.”

Everybody started yelling and pointing at Heechul or another guy. Yoohyeon took advantage of the situation to spit the coffee under the table. Hyunjin couldn’t help but let out a bark of laughter while Miyeon sunk her head between her arms on the table, her shoulders jumping up and down with every repressed laughter.

This meeting was going to be a mess.

It was no surprise that to celebrate her first day of a terrible string of meetings, Hyunjin would go to the bar. She was already sleeping on the counter by four, an hour after the opening. She woke up suddenly to throw up in the bathroom. She came back, rubbing the bags under her eyes from not sleeping the night before, only to be called out by another shit-faced woman dancing on the dance floor.

“You look awful!” She screamed, smiling.

“Thanks,” Hyunjin replied, rolling her eyes.

“What’s your name?”

Hyunjin had no intention to hook up with anyone, so she turned her down quickly. She changed the truth (just a bit, because not everyone was pro LGBT in Seoul).

“I’m married, sorry.”

“Nice name! Well, I’m Yerim. So, what are you doing here at…”

She hesitated, looking around probably for the time, so Hyunjin squinted her eyes at her phone screen, being still dizzy, and swore when she saw the time.

“Fuck, it’s almost five!”

“Hey, sit down with me!” Yerim exclaimed, holding on unto her shoulder.

“I should go-“

The woman pushed her into a booth and blocked the path, making her escape impossible.

“So, what are you trying to forget, I’m married?” She asked, leaning her head on the wall.

Hyunjin made sure she wasn’t going to throw up on her and sighed, shaking her head. That triggered a headache, so she stopped.

“My name is Hyunjin,” she started, then grumbled when she remembered her horrible day. “My boss is an asshole.”

“Ah, I feel you!”

“Why are you here?”

“Fuck if I know, dude! I don’t even remember how old I am!”

Hyunjin widened her eyes and looked around, trying to find someone that could help her. There was one passed man in the booth next to them, another guy dancing with his eyes closed and a woman at the bar barely awake.

“You need water. Stay there a minute, I’m coming back.”

“I’ll come.”

Hyunjin rolled her eyes and dragged her to the bar, sitting her down on one of the stools.

“Her, sir, can you fix me a glass of water? This one ain’t doing too well,” she asked, gesturing to Yerim.

She turned to see her downing a shot glass. Hyunjin quickly pushed the bottle away.

“What the fuck?”

“Yeah, what the fuck! Yolo motherfucker! If you drink, you drink till you die! You drink…” she babbled.

Her eyes suddenly rolled in their sockets, and she fell to the floor with a thud. Hyunjin panicked.

“Hey hey hey, Yerim! Yerim, wake up! Get up!”

The woman at the bar with black hair and a triangular-shaped mouth suddenly rose her face from between her arms. She blinked a few times and looked at the ground where Yerim was resting.

“Just kick her in the ribs, she’ll get up,” she mumbled, taking a sip of whatever drink she had in hand.

“Do you know her?”

“She’s my best friend.”

Hyunjin inhaled loudly, trying to keep her calm. Around her, nobody had moved to lend her a hand, not even the bartender. After a few seconds of deliberating with herself, Hyunjin picked up the passed out woman and got up.

“What’s your name?”

“Me? Hyejoo. Son Hyejoo.”

“Look, Hyejoo, your friend is sick, and you’re both too drunk to drive. I’ll get you a taxi…”

Hyunjin stopped before she could deceive herself even more. No sane taxi driver would take those two.

“Alright, fuck it!” She exploded, throwing one arm into the air. “I’ll drive you!”

“Oh, that’s so nice, unnie!” The other one drunkenly exclaimed, splashing her drink everywhere.

“Where’s your car?”

“At my place.”

Hyunjin didn’t say anything, waiting for the other one to elaborate. After a few seconds of silence, she tilted her head forward, frowning.

“I took her car. Yerim’s car,” Hyejoo finally continued, pointing at the other woman.

“Okay. Help me carry her and tell me where your car is.”

Hyejoo stumbled over and put Yerim’s other arm around her shoulder. Hyunjin sighed again, shaking her head. If this wasn't her karma for letting Haseul down, she would have to file an official complaint against life.

“Righttttt- here!”

Hyunjin braked suddenly, sending the two others slamming into the seats in front of them.

“Jesus Christ! Tell me before I drive by it, idiot!”

“Fuck you!” Hyejoo mumbled in response.

“How is she doing over there?”

Hyejoo didn’t say anything for a few seconds, during which Hyunjin parked into the driveway. A gagging noise came from the back, and Hyejoo cleared her throat.

“Still puking.”

“Great.”

Yerim had regained some of her senses, but not enough to say that she was fully conscious. The two less drunk women helped her walk to the door, and Hyejoo rang the doorbell. A short blonde woman answered the door and frowned at them.

“Hyejoo-ah?”

“Hey babe-“

“Hyejoo!”

The blonde quickly looked over to Hyunjin, who smiled reassuringly.

“Hello miss, I just wanted to drop those two to a safe place. Yerim here is quite sick,” Hyunjin explained, pointing to the woman she was helping carry.

The blonde woman quickly opened the door and led her to a couch, where they set Yerim down. Hyejoo sat down next to her.

“Chaewon, I can explain-“

“Later,” the blonde gritted through her teeth. She looked over to Hyunjin, smiling awkwardly. “Thank you so much, I don’t know what to-“

“It’s fine, I assure you.”

“You don’t have a car. Let me pay you a taxi. By the way, what did you drink earlier?”

“Thank you. Um, a few shots of vodka, I think.”

Chaewon nodded and took out her cell phone and walked to the kitchen. Hyunjin sat down in a chair next to a white couch. She fidgeted with her hands and rubbed her forehead, already sensing the migraine of the next morning. It wasn’t long before Chaewon came back with a half-full glass of water, which she handed to her.

“Drink up, you’ll feel better.”

“Thank you.”

She didn’t waste any time and took a big gulp, which she immediately spit back into the glass.

“Is that vodka?” Hyunjin exclaimed, looking up to the woman.

“Yeah. It’s a little trick I have. If you continue to drink alcohol, the hangover is less bad.”

Hyunjin shook her head and put the glass down while Chaewon walked over to the white couch.

“As for you,” the woman said, turning to Hyejoo, but she was already asleep. Or faking, maybe.

Chaewon let out a strangled grunt and pinched the bridge of her nose.  _ They are made for each other _ , Hyunjin thought while shaking her head in disbelief once again.

As Hyunjin closed the door, she heard a shriek, followed by “my white couch!”.

She ignored it and quickly jumped into her cab. On her way back, she saw two little girls running, the taller one holding the other’s hand. It made Hyunjin think about Vivi and Haseul, and a sharp pang of envy and guilt took over her. Whenever she heard her kids talk bout school and their friends, she started thinking about how she regretted her own childhood. Of how she wished she could be a real woman.

Of course, if Heejin were here, she would disagree and say that she is a real woman and that her body is perfect the way it is.

However, Hyunjin couldn’t help but be insecure. Her coworkers, some random people from her past, her parents, they all didn’t see who she was, and it made it so, so hard to be her unapologetic self. Of course, the impact of Harisu and all the others had actually made it easier with her boss and Heejin’s open-minded family.

It still sucked, though.

“Thank you, ma’am,” the cab driver said when she handed him the cash.

She smiled and walked to the hotel door. Sometimes, even the smallest things could make you feel good.

“C’mon Haseul, I promise it won’t be that bad.”

“But mom, I don’t want to! Mama!”

Heejin just smiled and pushed her forwards, giggling a bit. Haseul huffed, but she continued walking towards the field anyways. The Jeons had decided to enrol her into a soccer team. The pre-teen would just lie around the house after school, watching videos online and do homework all the time. Hyunjin had decided to take the matter into her own hands. Vivi was taking dancing lessons, so at 11, her youngest would have to move too.

“Hello there!” The coach greeted them, getting up from filling water bottles.

“Hello! I’m Jeon Heejin, Haseul’s mom. Haseul, say hi!”

“Hi,” she replied, staring at the ground.

“I see, so you’re the new one! I’m Choi Youngjae, nice to meet you!”

Haseul nodded and shyly looked to the side.

“This is her first time playing, so can you help her a bit?” Hyunjin asked, looking around at the field. The grass was cut, and there were no dangerous holes. She smiled, satisfied.

“Of course!” The man replied.

He smiled at them and motioned to the kid to follow him. Haseul walked away, waving at her mothers.

“Let’s not go just yet. Here, there are some bleachers over there,” Hyunjin insisted.

“Hyunjin…”

She dragged her wife, and they sat on the metal steps, next to another woman. There were a few parents there, so Haseul wouldn’t be embarrassed to have her parents stay. Heejin looked over to Hyunjin. The woman fidgeting around with her hands and tapping her feet on the ground rapidly. She kept glancing at the woman next to her, which made Heejin a bit suspicious. Just as Heejin was about to ask her what was wrong, her wife cleared her throat.

“Which one is yours?”

The woman next to her smiled and pointed to the bench. “Number 2, her name is Yongsun. Which one is yours?”

“Oh, um, I'm just here with… my friend,” she replied, glancing at Heejin. “It’s her daughter. Number 3, Haseul.”

“Oh, the new one!”

They continued talking for a while. The woman was Hyejin, and her kid had been playing for a few years now. Heejin stopped spying on them and focused on the kids on the field. The coach was showing them a little trick, which they all tried to reproduced. Heejin cringed when she saw Haseul miss the ball and fall on her butt. Fortunately, another girl stood in front of her while she got up, shielding her from the others' gaze. The two started to talk, and Heejin smiled when they walked to the bench together.

Finally, at one point the practice was over, and Haseul came back running. Hyunjin waved at Hyejin and came back to her family.

“How was it?” Heejin asked, holding her hand.

“I don’t think it’s for me, but Byulyi said she would teach me more about it!”

“Was she the girl that helped you?”

Haseul cringed and scratched her head. “You saw that?”

Hyunjin chuckled and squeezed her shoulder. “It’s ok, it happens to the best of us.”

“It’s totally different! You were good at sports as a kid!” Haseul replied.

“So? I also fell hard all the time, but I got better at it!”

“Mama!” She yelled, running away from Hyunjin. “Dad is mocking me!”

Hyunjin stopped abruptly in her tracks, overwhelmed by a wave of panic. She ran a hand shakily through her hair, trying to calm herself down.

“You’re not at work, you’re not at work, it’s fine,” she whispered to herself, pushing her legs to start walking again.

Hyunjin knew it was a habit enforced by her and Heejin to help their kids at school, but being called ‘Dad’ by her own daughter hurt a lot more. A hand took hold of hers, and Hyunjin looked up to see her wife looking at her with concern.

“She didn’t do it on-“

“I know, I know.”

“Hyunjin-“

“I need a moment, Heejin. Let’s just go to the car, okay?”

Heejin nodded reluctantly and followed Hyunjin to her yellow car. Tonight was going to be painful.

“Hey kid! How was school?”

Vivi didn’t answer. She walked to the kitchen and took out her homework, but she stopped midway, interrupted by a sob. Heejin immediately stood up from the couch and sat next to her.

“Vivi, baby, what’s wrong?”

“I messed up, mom, big time.”

Heejin took the girl in her arms and brought her back to the couch, where they cuddled. The mom rubbed her back while Vivi sniffed and rubbed her eyes.

“What happened? Did you fail a test?”

“W-Worse.”

Heejin let the poor middle-schooler breathe and waited, rubbing her back some more.

“I was so confused, but I tried to be encouraging, and now everybody hates him!”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Taeseob.”

Heejin nodded. That kid was one of Vivi’s good friends, and he was a really nice boy.

“What happened to him?”

“I thought it wasn’t the same. He’s the only one I told about mom and you, and he wasn’t mad at me. He’s a boy, so it’s not the same as you two, right?”

Heejin cringed in her spot, understanding.

“Honey-“

“He said that he was the same. He told me that he was going to tell his friend, too. So I told him to go for it. It isn’t the same, you know?”

The teen shook her head and blew her nose. Heejin looked up, trying to stop her emotions from showing.

“His friend told everyone, and now he gets kicked around. Even the teachers seem to hate him. I don’t know what to do, mom. They say he has a disease.”

Heejin wiped her own tears and breathed in.

“Don’t let him face it alone, but if you feel you could get hurt, report it to your principal.”

“Is he sick, mom?”

“Liking someone from the same gender is not a disease, Vivi. It’s also not a choice. Your mother and I, Taeseob, we didn’t choose this, but it’s who we are. Korea doesn’t like it, they don’t like different people, but it is not a disease. Don’t ever think that, okay?”

The girl nodded and hugged her mom tighter. Heejin gave her a kiss on the top of her head and looked at the hallway. Haseul was standing there, on her face an indescribable emotion. She noticed her mom looking at her and turned around, walking to her room.

_ What’s up with her? _ Heejin thought.

“Heejin, what the hell are you still doing here?”

Heejin almost dropped the photograph in surprise. Her coworker Eunji (she asked them to call her Mia for an ‘American inspiration’ phase she had going on) had her hands on her hips, and a frown stuck on her face.

“Hanging the pictures for the next shoot? For references?”

“I know what those are, I’m asking why you’re not out of here yet! Isn’t today your anniversary?”

Heejin slowly lowered her arm from the thin rope hanging from one wall to the other, frowning at her turn.

“My anniversary? My anniversary… MY ANNIVERSARY!”

Mia shook her head, laughing at her.

“Oh my God, I totally forgot! Oh, no no no no!” Heejin exclaimed, slapping a hand on her forehead. “Hyunjin is going to kill me!”

“I’ll hang those for you. Now go! I’m sure he’s still waiting for you.”

Heejin ran across the studio and threw on her coat. “Thank you so much, I owe you!”

“Have a good evening! I’m sure he’ll be fine with anything!”

Heejin slammed the door, cringing. She hated lying to them every day. She ran down the steps and out on the sidewalk, cursing her memory. Hyunjin would be so upset.

She arrived at the metro station and waited, tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. What time was it? Seven? The kids were probably at her parents' or Yeojin’s house (she was basically their aunt). Her wife was waiting alone in their home, probably wondering where she was.

Finally, the metro arrived, and she jumped in, urging the closing of the doors in her head. Did she have time to go to the store? Did Hyunjin say anything about wanting something?

“Fuck! I’m so dumb!”

The old lady next to her, widened her eyes but didn’t say anything. The metro ride seemed to take so long, but in half-an-hour, she was already there. She jumped out and ran up the stairs to the city. Running in her small heels was uncomfortable, but she didn’t care. She felt so bad for forgetting. She couldn't cook for shit, she had no idea what Hyunjin wanted and worse than all that, she had no valid reason to excuse her lateness.

She hesitated to come in when she was on her own porch, scared of what was on the other side. She breathed in slowly and jumped up and down, giving herself a pep talk.

“You’ll be fine, Heejin, it’s not even that late.”

She checked her watch and groaned. 8 PM. She unlocked the door shakily and pushed it open, barbering excuses.

“Hyunjin, I’m so sorry I’m late, I was working on the stop-motion project I keep talking about, and I didn’t see the time, but I rushed and ran, and I’m sorry, I couldn’t get anything, because I’m stupid and-“

Hyunjin stood up from the couch in the living room, a big smile on her face.

“Welcome home, Heekkie. Come over here.”

Heejin shut up and swallowed hard, even more stressed out. She reluctantly walked over to the couch and sat down. Her wife took her coat off her back and hung it in the entrance, then walked down the hall to the kitchen.

“A-Are the kids in their rooms?”

“They’re at Yeojin’s,” Hyunjin replied.

“Oh, okay.”

Hyunjin had definitely planned the evening out, and Heejin had totally wrecked it. She put her face in her hands, ashamed of herself.

“Babe, I’m sorry-“

“Happy couple-birthday, Heejin.”

Heejin rose her head and was faced with a smiling Hyunjin holding two tteokbokki plates and a tv remote. Heejin’s eyes went from the plates to Hyunjin, then back and up a few times.

“Look, they might be mushy because I made them like an hour ago, and it’s not super fancy or anything, so I’m sorry-“

“Hyunjin, it’s perfect. You’re perfect,” she choked out, jumping to hug her wife.

Hyunjin chuckled and set the plates down, returning Heejin’s hug.

“I knew you forgot about it. You were so stressed out about your project, so I thought you would like to relax. I picked a few romantic movies you like, so we can watch them while we eat.”

“I love you so much.”

“I love you too!”

Hyunjin rubbed her back while Heejin breathed in her scent. Hyunjin always knew what she needed and how to comfort her. Heejin was lucky to have her in her life. They finally sat down and opened the tv, choosing between at least twenty options Hyunjin picked. Before pressing play, Heejin leaned in and kissed her wife sweetly. Hyunjin smiled and kissed back, squeezing her hand. Heejin leaned her head on her shoulder and sighed in contempt.

“You’re the best.”

“I know.”

Heejin swore she could feel the smirk in her voice, but she just snuggled more against her.

Hyunjin had a fucking good job, and it wasn’t a secret. The ladder had been climbed, and she got paid A LOT. That’s why when her boss was replaced by a certain Yang Hyunsuk, who basically ordered her to move to Seoul to expand the company, she didn’t whine and packed her things.

Heejin was the one who whined, but she went with it in the end. She was sick and tired of taking pictures of kids and entitled athletes, so she would take the opportunity to find some new projects to work on. Haseul also whined, talking about all the friends she would lose, but resigned herself to follow her.

Vivi, however, was not having it. She went furious while Yeojin was over, helping them unpack their belongings in the capital.

She was pacing in the living room, shaking her head.

“I’m going to uni in a month, I am not moving now.”

“Honey, please…”

“No way! I’m staying there! I’m already in! I worked hard for it!” She replied, stomping her foot on the ground and glaring at her.

Hyunjin sighed but didn’t insist. Her kid was almost an adult now, and it was unfair to change her plans now.

“Fine. We’ll move your stuff to grandpa’s, then.”

“But Hyun-“

“She’s right, Heejin. She’s old enough to decide. Besides, she can visit us anytime!” Hyunjin exclaimed, smiling.

She was feeling sad, but it was for the best. Their kids were moving on, and at 40, it was time to get used to it. Yeojin got up and dusted herself, a full grin on her face.

“Don’t be angry, Heekkie! You’ll have me to nag!”

“I do that every time I see you, bean. I still can’t believe you’re coming with us,” Heejin sighed, shaking her head with a smile.

Yeojin was actually their childhood friend. The three of them had always been great friends, even if the couple had a fun time annoying her. Having her around for this next step in their life was actually welcomed. 

It’s was their first time moving since they had moved in together, and the kids’ first time. Haseul had a fun time organizing her new room, along with the rest of the house with her two moms, while Vivi got help with her things from Heejin’s parents. Their home was smaller, but it was as cosy as they could make it. It was weird to leave, like leaving a part of themselves behind. That’s where the Jeons had grown up. Hyunjin had taught them how to throw a ball properly, and Heejin to detect bad mushroom from the god ones. Yeojin taught them how to bust a lung to annoy their parents, and the three of them how to ride a bike.

They all hugged Vivi when she left to go back to Jeonju, and Haseul cried a whole lot.

Heejin and Hyunjin finalized their transition for the rest of the week. When they were all done, it was past midnight.

“I’m going to bed,” Heejin yawned, stretching her arms over her head.

“I’ll be there in a sec.”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m just hungry,” Hyunjin said, smiling at her wife.

“You’re always hungry at unreasonable hours!”

Hyunjin left the room, laughing at Heejin and walked around the corner to the kitchen. She picked some bread from the pantry and was about to sit at the dining table when she heard a door creaking. Slowly, she got up to pick up a kitchen knife, then tip-toed to the front door.

_ IT’S UNLOCKED,  _ she realized and looked through the peephole. Hyunjin saw a figure sitting on the steps and sighed.

“Hey,” she said, sitting beside Haseul. “It’s really late.”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

The seventeen-year-old sighed and looked at her mother, a pout on her face.

“This sucks. I wanted Vivi to be with us.”

“Next year, you might also move out, Haseulie,” Hyunjin said, trying to comfort her.

“I hope not. I’ll miss you guys too much.”

“We’ll miss you too, kid.”

Hyunjin rubbed her back and looked up at the stars. She was as upset as her, but she couldn’t tell Haseul that. The only good side about this was that she would see Yoohyeon more often. They had become good friends, and she couldn't wait to see the shit she pulled at work.

Heejin was sitting in a cafe, scrolling on the web yet again. It had been weeks since they arrived in Seoul, and she still couldn’t find a job. She had sent her CV to a few companies, but none of them had replied back. She was becoming more and more frustrated and anxious by the day, hence the large cafe latte on her table. She hadn’t drunk any of it yet, still looking for any add that seemed legit on the internet. At one point, she gave up and set her phone down, shaking her head.

“This is bullshit,” she whispered to herself before taking a sip of her drink.

She spat it out almost immediately, coughing loudly. The other patrons looked at her funny, so she put a hand on her mouth. Heejin looked down at her drink, incredulous. She got up and went to the blond woman behind the counter, shaking her mug in front of her.

“Did you put vodka in my latte?”

“You looked like you needed some,” the woman replied in a little voice, looking down at the sandwich she was making.

Heejin widened her eyes, bewildered.

“Is that even legal?”

“Excuse me, miss!” A man called, standing at the ordering counter.

“Hold up a sec. Yes sir, how can I help you?”

Heejin stood there as the blonde woman took the guy’s order (the usual?) and poured some  _ tequila _ in the mug, before handing it to an employee. Heejin followed the drink around until the man paid for it and went to sit down at a table. He immediately took a big gulp and sighed with a smile, looking down at the newspaper set on the table. Heejin looked back to the blond woman, incredulous. The woman looked back at her, grinning.

“I’m Park Chaewon. Welcome to the Butterfly.”

“J-Jeon Heejin. Can I be your friend?”

When Hyunjin came home from work, she was expecting to be greeted by Haseul doing her homework (she didn’t want to join the soccer team of her new school). Heejin and her new friend had decided to go to the bar together, leaving the two of them alone. She wasn’t sure how they met, as all Heejin kept saying was that they “connected on a different plane of thoughts”. What even was that? A new kind of drug?

But when she pushed the door, she saw her daughter sitting with another girl on the couch.

“I didn’t know we had guests tonight!” She exclaimed, kicking her shoes away.

She dropped her bag on her desk and smiled at the two. Haseul smiled back and introduced them.

“Mom, this is Sooyoung!”

“Nice to meet you, Sooyoung!”

“Hello.”

The girl looked around Haseul’s age. She had long dark brown hair and a lean figure as if she played a lot of sports. To prove her point, she was wearing a cap with some sports team’s logo. Hyunjin sat on the chair armrest, asking the usual ‘how did you meet?’ ‘Is Haseul having fun at school?’ questions, but Sooyoung just nodded and looked down. Intrigued, Hyunjin changed the subject.

“Will you stay for dinner?”

“No, I’m going… home soon, thanks.”

“Alright! Well, if you girls need me, I’m making some kimchi stew!”

Hyunjin didn’t have to wait for long before Haseul’s friend closed the door behind her. She immediately left the kitchen and sat next to her daughter.

“What-“

“Don’t, please.”

“Haseul-“

“She just got in a fight with her mom, and she needed a friend, that’s all,” she replied, followed by a sigh at her mother’s expression.

“She seems odd, is all.”

“Welcome to Seoul!”

“Don’t be rude. Help me make dinner.”

The teenager rolled her eyes but followed Hyunjin to the small kitchen.

“Hyunjin, you need a hobby.”

“What are you talking about?”

Heejin stopped the car and smiled at her.

“All you do is work, work and work! You need to slack off and have some fun! That’s why I registered you.”

Hyunjin couldn’t be more confused. They were in front of a soccer field, where a bunch of teenage girls were sitting or talking on the synthetic grass. Heejin got out of the car and pulled her out, dragging her to the gate.

“Registered me for what?”

“The position of a soccer coach! You used to play in school, remember?” Heejin exclaimed, grinning from cheek to cheek.

“I do, but-“

“They’re waiting for you! The balls are in the shed over there, and the code is 1221. Good luck!”

Heejin pushed her onto the field and closed the gate behind her. Hyunjin quickly banged her fists on the grid, shooting daggers at her wife.

“Heekkie, you can’t just throw me in there!”

“I just did! I’ll be back in an hour, have fun!”

Hyunjin could only watch as she ran back to the car and left in less than ten seconds. She understood why Heejin forced her to wear a t-shirt and shorts. The woman sighed and turned around.

The girls were all looking at her, some midway into hitting another.

“Are you coach Kim?” One of them asked.

“Well, I suppose so.”

“Great! I don’t even want to be here, and the coach doesn’t even  _ know _ she’s a coach!” A girl with long brown hair exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips.

Hyunjin had to blink a few times, but she finally regained control of the situation. 

“I don’t know your names, so can you all line-up?”

It took them almost five minutes, but they finally stopped moving enough to make Hyunjin count to 18, and among that two Chaeyoungs and two Jisoos.

“Um, no, they fucked up my name. I’m Jihyo,” one of them said after she pointed it out.

Hyunjin coloured over her name with a sharpie and wrote the correct name on top. 

“I know too many people with your names so Park Sooyoung, Yerim and the Chaeyoungs, choose a new one.”

“Joy!”

“My second name is Rosé, I can be that.”

“What the fuck? Literally no one here has my name!”

“It ain’t that hard, kid!”

“Fine! Yeri, then!”

Hyunjin took her sharpie out of her pocket again and went to work. Next, she grabbed a ball bag from said shed and started throwing them around.

“Alright! I don’t know what I’m dealing with, so let’s try a simple exercise. In teams of two, practice your throw-ins.”

A few girls started kicking the ball and picking them up, but four girls stayed at the bench, ignoring her. Hyunjin sigh and walked over to them. They were all around one cellphone, commenting on a fight that had happened a few hours ago.

“So that’s what she told me!”

“That doesn’t add up. Lisa wasn’t even there when it happened, I saw the whole thing.”

“Well, maybe you should go talk to her!”

Thank God they had uniforms on.

“Nayeon, Tzuyu, Jennie and Joohyun! Can you come over, please?” Hyunjin called, smiling at them.

“Yeah, in a minute!” Jennie replied and went straight back to gossiping with the others.

Hyunjin didn’t take it well.

“If you don’t come now, I’m making you run laps.”

“Look, neither of us wants to be here,” Nayeon said, looking at her with the corner of her eye. “Just go on with your thing.”

Hyunjin smiled, suddenly overcome with rage. She walked back the other girls and cleared her throat.

“Who here is friends with the four kids over there?”

A few looked at each other and rose their hands.

“If one of you fakes to have a stroke, I won’t make you run laps.”

“I’ll do it for ten bucks,” Dahyun said.

“Deal.”

The girl was on the ground in seconds, convulsing and batting her arms around like a screaming child. Hyunjin glared menacingly at the other, urging them to participate. Small Chaeyoung and Momo started screaming her name while Seulgi and Jisoo ran around, getting the attention of the girls on the bench. Immediately, Nayeon and Tzuyu ran to their friend in panic.

“Move assholes, I know CPR!” Joohyun screeched, dropping her phone on the ground.

Jennie had the decency to walk to the scene, but she started investigating. As Joohyun was about to literally push her insides in, Dahyun stood up.

“Hold it, Irene! I’m good!”

“You dumb bitch, I knew you faked it!” Jennie screamed at her, dragging Jeongyeon by the arm.

“I’m sorry Dahyun, she said she would bring some of that epic meat her mom makes to school!”

“What the fuck, Jeongyeon? I thought you had my back!”

“Children! That’s enough!”

Hyunjin was standing next to the bench, holding a bag up in the air.

“I have all your cellphones in there, and if you want them back, you have to do the exercises.”

“My iPhone X!” Joohyun whined.

“I thought your parents had the LG store?” Sana remarked.

“Fuck off!” Park Sooyoung #2 (Joy, was it?) said. “We can just get them while you’re not looking.”

“That’s true, thank you! Now I know that I have to lock them up in the FUCKING SHED!”

Hyunjin sprinted towards the shed chased by almost twenty angry teenagers but managed to make it before them.

“Now, I’ll say it one last time: practice your throw-ins with a friend.”

The girls glared at Joy and her, but finally did what she asked. Hyunjin smiled. Heejin was right, she needed a hobby.

“Mom, mama, do you think someone would hurt me for being myself?”

Heejin and Hyunjin dropped their chopsticks and looked at their kid, confused.

“What? No, Haseul,” Heejin replied, tilting her head. “Who told you that?”

“Society, I guess.”

“It's indeed harder for some people to be themselves, but no one could ever hate or harm you sweetie,” Hyunjin said, smiling at her.

“But what if…”

Haseul was looking down at her hands and didn’t continue. The two women looked at each other and Heejin scooted over, rubbing her daughter’s arm.

“I don’t want to live like you guys do.”

“You won’t have to, Haseul. Why would you say that?” Hyunjin asked.

Heejin kicked her foot from under the table, and Hyunjin squeaked.

“That all depends, honey. Maybe society will change in the future.”

“But I love Sooyoung now, mom.”

Hyunjin blinked a few times, looking at Heejin for help. Her wife kept looking at their kid and petting her head in comfort.

“Hold up, this is news to me! Sooyoung as in Hyejoo’s kid?”

The two had re-met during Yerim and Yeojin’s date. They had bonded over their hate for Hyunjin’s coworker and Hyejoo’s online video game nemesis, Jeon Jungkook. Hyejoo had shared that she had a hard time with Sooyoung and that she kept acting rebellious. Hyunjin wasn’t sure it was a good idea for Haseul to hang out with a kid like that.

“Yes, that one.”

“Haseul-“

“Hyunjin, please shut up.”

“Fine.”

"Honey, remember what I told your sister when Taeseob came out? It applies to you too."

Haseul nodded, smiling at her mother.

"Taeseob? I loved that kid!" Hyunjin exclaimed, smiling like an idiot.

Haseul and Heejin could only laugh at her.

Still, Hyunjin knew that Sooyoung was… what was it…  _ wack _ , like Yeri would say. Nothing terrible had happened for several months, and Sooyoung came to their house a few times. Haseul had gone fewer times, though.

Hyunjin had a blast with her soccer team. The girls were slowly getting used to her and showed her a few tricks, like the dab (Mina kept whining about how it was a dead meme), and to say ‘okay boomer’ to other adults. They also showed her what stan twitter and Reddit were (she kept showing Heejin memes she thought were funny), and how to spot a vsco girl (they said Rosé and Wendy were perfect examples).

Her suspicions towards Park Sooyoung #1/ Haseul’s girlfriend never vanished and became true the day Haseul ran back home crying, saying over and over how it was her fault. She and Heejin were finishing a Skype call with Vivi when their youngest opened the front, balling her eyes out. Hyunjin ran to her and examined her for injuries.

“Haseul, are you ok? What happened?” Heejin asked frantically, also looking around for injuries.

“Jinsoul… and Sooyoung,” she sobbed, “they fought… and it’s all my fault!”

They sat her down and gave her tissues. They waited for her to calm down and Hyunjin went to the kitchen to fetch her some chocolate.

“I’m sure it’s not your fault, look at yourself! You would never cause any harm, honey,” Heejin said, rubbing her arm.

“I thought those two were best friends! Were they fighting for your heart?” Hyunjin teased, giving her daughter a chocolate tablet.

Haseul glared at her, so she raised her hands in defence.

“They fought because they are best friends,” she explained. “They spent all their time together, and since I’ve been going out with Sooyoung, she hangs less with Jinsoul. Jinsoul got mad, so she came to me and kind of expressed her feelings loudly… I tried to apologize, but Sooyoung heard us, and she thought Jinsoul was attacking me… then they started yelling at each other and fought.”

Hyunjin sucked in air through her teeth. That was a bit more serious than she had thought.

“But worse… I came back to Sooyoung’s house, and her mom was there, and she was angry. I tried to explain, but both of them started fighting with each other…”

Her eyes were filled with tears, so Heejin gave her another tissue. Both of them knew the Parks, so they weren’t new to the situation. They regretted that Haseul had to witness the whole thing, though.

“Is there something we can do to make you feel better, sweetie?”

“Actually, I was thinking of something…”

That’s how they ended going to the Parks' house. Hyunjin sighed at the sight of the house, remembering her night at the bar ten years ago. As for Heejin, she was still unsure about Haseul’s plan.

They got out of the car and walked to the front door. Haseul rang the doorbell and waited. A minute later, a defeated looking Hyejoo cracked open the door. Noticing who they were, she opened the door, confused.

“Hyunjin, Heejin? And Haseul? Ha, triple H, how ironic.”

“Hello Hyejoo, can we come in?” Heejin asked, ignoring her last remark.

Hyejoo shrugged and invited them in. It was silence in the house, and it made the Jeons uneasy. Hyejoo let herself drop on her couch and looked at them sit down on the other. Hyunjin noticed that her eyes were red as if she had been crying.

“What can I do to help you?”

“Well, I wanted to explain what happened today. Is Sooyoung around?” Haseul asked with a little voice, looking at the ground.

“She’s in her room. I tried talking to her, but she won’t come out. I think she fought with Jinsoul, but I’m not sure.”

Heejin shot her a concerned look, and Hyejoo gave her a tight-lipped smile.

“Sooyoung talked to me, miss Son. She has a hard time conveying her feelings and keeps fighting everyone around her. She… she says that you don’t care about her.”

“I fucked up big time, Haseul. Ever since she’s been here,” Hyejoo confessed. “I don’t think I was ever made to be a good parent. I tried, I really did, but with her, it’s so  _ hard _ . With her sister, all I had to do was to read her a story, or play games, but with her…”

She shook her head, running a hand through her hair. Hyunjin went over and patted her back, awkwardly trying to comfort her.

“I want to be better, and I’m ready to make the efforts, but I think it’s too late,” she continued, rubbing a tear off her cheek.

“I’m not so sure, miss Son. I think that I can help you with that.”

Hyunjin and Heejin smiled, proud of their daughter. Haseul squeezed Hyejoo’s hand and ran upstairs, and the Jeons stayed silent, trying to spy the conversation. They could only hear a few whispers, so they abandoned the idea.

“Where’s Chaewon?” Hyunjin asked, looking around.

“Probably still at work. Minju is sick, so she had to stay longer.”

They stood in silence for a few minutes before Haseul came down, dragging Sooyoung behind. Her eyes were blood-shot, but she looked calm enough. She sat down with Haseul on a chair and kept silent, looking down.

“Do my parents make it uncomfortable?”

“No, it’s fine,” Sooyoung replied.

She looked up to Hyejoo, who was looking down. She looked back to Haseul, who smiled and squeezed her hand.

“Hyejoo… I’m sorry.”

“Why? What are you talking about?” The mother exclaimed, jumping up from the couch. “I’m the one that’s sorry!”

“I’ve been a dick to you, and I never talk to you about what made me angry.”

Hyejoo shook her head and carefully kneeled in front of her.

“Sooyoung, I deserved it. I treated you like an outsider for so long.”

She shook her head.

“I’m really sorry, sweetie. My actions are irreversible, but I wish that we can go forward from here. I understand that it will be hard for you to forgive me and that you might never, but I am grateful that you’re giving me that chance.”

“Hyejoo…” Hyunjin whispered, clasping her wife’s hand.

Heejin was trying her best to hold her tears. She was happy that the two reunited, but she was proud of her daughter for making it possible. Like the good girlfriend she was, Haseul was comforting Sooyoung and helping her form replies to her mother.

Hyejoo hesitantly opened her arms, and the Jeons saw the fear of rejection swirl in her eyes. Thankfully, Sooyoung hugged her back, even though it lasted two whole seconds.

“Thank you, guys. Without her, I think I wouldn’t have made it,” Hyejoo said, patting Heejin’s shoulder.

“We’re grateful to have her,” Heejin said, smiling.

They waved goodbye and walked back to their car. Haseul had decided to stay there, so the two were alone once again. Well, almost. Hyunjin cellphone went off.

“Hello, Yeojin.”

“Hey guys! I know Heekkie is with you. So, Yerim got tickets to this fancy event where all those idol groups are supposed to meet, and she has two extras! I heard that CL and Hyuna were gonna be there, so you could send some pics to Vivi.”

“You know what, bean?”

“Whaaaaat?”

“You’re the best aunt ever.”

Heejin chuckled next to her.

“You know I am! So, it that a yes?”

“Of course!”

“Did Heejin hear?”

“You’re on speaker.”

“Alright! I’ll send the info later, bye!”

The two shook their heads, smiling.

Heejin did end up making her own studio, and her unique style of photography brought her many clients. To be fair, taking objects in her house and turn them into little creative pieces could be very interesting.

As for Hyunjin, she flipped off Yang Hyunsuk during a meeting and quit her job. Yoohyeon clapped silently and shot her a thumbs up. Hyunjin beamed back.

Haseul’s school had been impressed by the way she turned the girl’s soccer team around in time for them to win this year's championship, so they offered her a job at the school.

Their lives were finally going great.

“Hyunjin! Come here for a second!”

Hyunjin left her Netflix show to go into her room, where her wife was in bed, on her computer.

“Did you want to show me something?”

“Yeah, come see this!”

Hyunjin climbed on the bed and sat next to her. Heejin closed the computer and put it on her bedside table. She turned back to her wife, who was shooting her a confused look.

“Close your eyes.”

“Is today an important day? Did I forget something?” She panicked but closed her eyes anyway.

When she opened them again, Heejin had brought her closer, hugging her tightly. Hyunjin relaxed and rubbed her back, smiling.

“I love you so much, Aeongie.”

“I love you more.”

They looked in each other’s eyes and grinned. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you soooo much for reading!! this is the end, but let me know if you want a kids pov or sm haha
> 
> follow me on twitter i swear im funny @loonsmemes
> 
> P.S: I hate the part before the end :) i wanted to close the stories, but it was kind of messy, so... y'all got that mess instead


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